Sony PlayStation 5 launch has gamers in China scrambling for grey market imports
- The next-generation console arrives worldwide in November, but there is no launch date yet for mainland China
- Consoles like the PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Switch generally take longer to debut in China because of a strict government approval process
The PlayStation 5 is launching worldwide in November, but not in mainland China. That’s why dedicated Chinese gamers are already plotting how to get their hands on grey market imports.
In other parts of Asia, the next generation Sony console hits shelves on November 12 in Japan and South Korea and November 19 in most other places, including Hong Kong. But a launch date for mainland China is conspicuously missing.
The PlayStation announcement notes, “Availability in each country [is] subject to local import regulations. PS5 launch date for [mainland] China is still under exploration and will be announced at a later date.”
The uncertainty is driving gamers in the country to alternative channels to try to get their hands on one of this year’s most anticipated gaming consoles, which is launching seven years after the PS4. The PS5 starts at US$399.99, but buying from grey market importers could mean facing a hefty markup.
“I want to go to Hong Kong to snatch one, but I don’t think I can outrun those crooked traders,” wrote one commenter on the microblogging platform Weibo.
People in mainland China are used to waiting longer than the rest of the world for new games and consoles to show up. The government’s stringent approval process leaves gamers months, or sometimes years, behind other parts of the world.
